Indonesia, 2002

On behalf of the

Indonesian delegation, I am pleased to congratulate

you on your election as President of the fifty-seventh

session of the General Assembly. We are sure that with

your wise and skilful guidance our deliberations will be

fruitful.

Let me also take this opportunity to extend

Indonesia's warm welcome and congratulations to the

newest Member of this world Organization —

Switzerland. We look forward to extending a similar

welcome to East Timor when it joins our Organization

in the days ahead.

In November 2001, from this same podium, I

asserted that in order to wage an effective struggle

against the multiple threats and challenges confronting

humankind, we must imbue ourselves with the

democratic spirit. Without that spirit, we can only fail.

In the relations and interactions among nations,

the democratic spirit is put into practice through

multilateralism. Multilateralism exists when a group of

nations adopts a set of goals and each individual

member is equally responsible for the achievement of

those goals. It entails respect for one another's

sensitivities and points of view, and therefore requires

discussion and the forging of consensus. For the value

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of each nation, no matter how small or how poor, is

equal to that of any other.

To my mind, the ultimate form of multilateralism

is a United Nations with a General Assembly already

revitalized, a Security Council that is truly

representative of the United Nations membership, and a

streamlined Secretariat that is responsive to the needs

and interests of all Member States.

Nowhere is the necessity for multilateralism more

glaring than in our response to the scourge of our time:

international terrorism. And nowhere else is the role of

the United Nations more vital.

The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in this

city and in Washington were not only an attack against

the United States but also an attack against civilization

and all human values. Therefore, the coalition that

responded to these attacks had to represent all of

humanity — all nations, religions and cultures.

For those reasons the United Nations was actively

involved in the response to the attacks and must

maintain a pivotal role in the response of the world

community to the persistent threat of international

terrorism; otherwise, in the long run, that endeavour

will fail.

The same is true of our efforts to advance the

disarmament agenda, which is also imperative. Until

the States concerned rid themselves of their arsenals of

mass destruction — whether nuclear, biological or

chemical — the danger remains that much, if not all of

the human race, could be wiped out in a single

holocaust.

In accordance with the multilateral principle of

equality, States should no longer cling to the privileges

derived from military superiority over others.

Multilateral affirmative action can also bring

about peace, where for many years there has only been

violence and bloodshed. In the Middle East, the Powers

that wield great influence on the region are called upon

to adopt a just and balanced approach to the issue of

Palestine. They can, if they wish, persuade Israel to

withdraw its forces from the occupied territories and to

cease settlement activities in accordance with the

relevant Security Council resolutions.

That will help pave the way for the realization of

two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side

within secure internationally recognized borders. Only

then will peace have a real chance.

In this context we note with interest the

communiqué issued yesterday by the Quartet on the

Middle East outlining a roadmap to realize such a

vision.

Elsewhere, it is important to recall that the

situation in Iraq has been an issue that has occupied the

Security Council for some time. Hence, while over the

past weeks we have witnessed an intensification of the

international focus on this issue, we must not lose sight

of the fact that mechanisms already exist within the

United Nations system to address the issue. In tackling

the present challenge, Indonesia deems it necessary

that peaceful efforts be fully exhausted and existing

United Nations mechanisms be fully utilized, and, if

need be, strengthened.

Any unilateral use of force risks not only

undermining the authority of the United Nations, but

would also carry the grave potential of destabilizing the

immediate region, and indeed beyond, with its

attendant humanitarian implications.

For its part, Iraq must fully comply with the

relevant Security Council resolutions. We are

encouraged by the recent decision by the Government

of Iraq to allow the return of United Nations inspectors.

We trust that this will pave the way to a peaceful

solution of the problem and preclude any attack against

the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq.

The situation in Iraq cannot be viewed in

isolation. How we address this problem will have

repercussions on the longer-standing issue of Palestine

and the challenge of terrorism.

In Afghanistan, the United Nations has done

commendable work in helping the Afghan parties

manage the post-Taliban transition. The international

community must now help the Afghan people in

nation-building, rehabilitating the country's

infrastructure and strengthening its newborn

Government.

In the long run, the war against terrorism can only

be won if we emerge victorious in a more basic

struggle — the one against poverty. The substantial

eradication of poverty, in fact, is what the development

goals of the Millennium Declaration all boil down to.

As reported by the Secretary-General, the world

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community has made some progress in this endeavour,

with East Asia recording the most significant gains.

We still have a long way to go, however, before

we can meet the goal of reducing by one half, between

1990 and 2015, the number of people living on less

than a dollar a day.

If the Millennium goals will be met at all, a major

factor will be the achievement of an international trade

regime where unilateral practices and protectionism

have given way to genuine multilateralism. Hence, we

trust that the forthcoming negotiations mandated by the

Fourth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial

Conference at Doha last year will make possible the

full integration of developing countries into the

multilateral trading system. Much also depends on

whether the pledges made in Monterrey at the

International Conference on Financing for

Development could be fulfilled and then exceeded.

Earlier this month, the World Summit on

Sustainable Development reached agreement on a

global programme to reduce poverty and restore the

integrity of our planet and formulated a blueprint for

switching to a more efficient use of carbon fuels and

renewable sources of energy. Despite the lack of a

timetable, the fact remains that we have an action-

oriented plan of implementation to be carried out by a

global partnership of governments, private business

and civil society.

A factor that can work against our hopes is a

unilateralist trend so apparent at the global level. In the

face of that trend, it becomes even more necessary and

desirable that regional organizations grow in strength

and share some of the burden that is now borne by the

United Nations. This role was envisioned for them

even when the world organization was still being

established more than fifty-seven years ago.

In general, regional organizations strictly adhere

to a multilateral regime, and at that level many global

problems are so much more manageable. It may

therefore be highly advisable to find ways and means

of further promoting the natural synergy between the

United Nations and regional organizations. A good

example is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN), of which Indonesia is a founding member.

For many years now, we in ASEAN have been working

with United Nations bodies to the considerable benefit

of our peoples. It is in this spirit that we, the ASEAN

countries, are sponsoring a resolution in the General

Assembly on strengthening the working relationship

between our regional organization and the United

Nations system.

Long before the 11 September attacks, a regional

programme to combat terrorism and other transnational

crimes was an integral part of our ASEAN functional

cooperation. In the face of the surge of this global

threat, ASEAN has set in motion a work plan to

implement the 2001 ASEAN Declaration on Terrorism

and Transnational Crime.

We believe, however, that it is the totality of

ASEAN's work that will decisively overcome not only

terrorism but also the basic problem of poverty in our

region. Since it was founded in 1967, ASEAN has

tirelessly promoted political, economic and social

development cooperation among its members. The

result has been three decades of relative peace and

unprecedented economic growth, interrupted only by

the Asian financial crisis of 1997. To forestall the

recurrence of such a devastating crisis, we have taken

bold steps toward regional integration. Through this

approach, we hope to achieve our vision of an ASEAN

that is at peace within itself and with others, an

ASEAN that is technologically competitive with the

rest of the world and, through sustainable development,

has reached, for our part of the world, the Millennium

Development Goals.

From the time of its inception, ASEAN has been

much criticized for its preoccupation with consultations

and consensus-building, which seem to delay action

when swift action is needed. I am not troubled by this

criticism because I regard it as an affirmation of

ASEAN's adherence to the multilateral ethos.

Multilateralism gives ASEAN coherence, commitment

and perseverance in the pursuit of its goals. That is

why it has been an effective catalyst for the promotion

of security and economic cooperation in the Asia-

Pacific region.

At the national level, Indonesia has been similarly

doubted: it is said that reform legislation has been

lagging because of dithering and interminable debate.

Moreover, in some international circles, Indonesia has

been portrayed as less than fully enthusiastic in the

global fight against terror on the basis of a mistaken

perception that it is lenient with radical Muslim groups.

And yet, after all the necessary debates, we did

take large strides toward further democratization. Our

parliament recently endorsed several amendments to

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our Constitution: the adoption of a system of direct

popular election of the President and Vice-President,

the adoption of a bicameral system of legislature, and

the abolition by 2004 of the 38 seats reserved for the

military and police in the legislature.

A proposal for the adoption of the Shariah or

Muslim law in our legal system did not obtain support.

The proponents graciously and democratically accepted

this reality and bowed to the decision of the people's

representatives and to the force of public opinion. This

reflects our common commitment to democracy.

We will adhere to the democratic process even in

addressing serious threats to our national security, such

as the separatist movements in the provinces of Aceh

and Papua and the disruptive communal strife in the

provinces of Maluku. On Aceh, we are prepared to

resume negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement,

provided the Movement drop its separatist demand,

cease resorting to terrorist tactics and accept the law on

special autonomy as a final political solution to the

problem. At the same time, we shall continue to

provide protection to civilians from terrorist attacks

that disrupt public order and cause much suffering.

We have also applied special autonomy to the

province of Papua, which guarantees protection of the

cultural rights of the people, a just and equitable share

of the resources for development, and redress of

legitimate grievances. In the provinces of Maluku and

North Maluku, communal strife has greatly abated with

the signing of two peace agreements between the

factions and the holding of reconciliation dialogues.

The main task now is to build goodwill among the

communities and help thousands of internally displaced

persons return home and start a new life.

In many of our endeavours at political, economic

and social reform, we have been supported by United

Nations organizations, funds and programmes. We are

therefore deeply grateful to the Secretary-General for

his intention to enhance United Nations efforts to assist

Indonesia in promoting good governance and in

establishing a stable, democratic and prosperous

society.

Thus at the national level, we have committed

ourselves to the processes of dialogue, wide

participation and accountability, which are all inherent

in a democracy, just as we stand for multilateralism in

international affairs. We are committed to promote and

protect the individual rights of our citizens, just as we

have always advocated that every nation, no matter

how small or powerless, must have a voice in

international affairs.

At the same time, however, we affirm that

democracy is not merely the breaking of chains and the

enjoyment of rights. Whoever would truly be free must

bind himself to the duties and obligations that match

and give meaning to his rights. Every individual has

responsibilities to the community that nurtures him,

just as every nation has responsibilities to the

community of humankind, including the responsibility

to respect the views of all other members of that

community. This is the fundamental meaning of

multilateralism.

In the ultimate analysis, this is all we need to

address the challenges of our time and make a more

peaceful, more just and more prosperous world: that we

all be sincerely responsible to one another, for one

another and for the planet that is our only home in this

life.